Ear tag for marking animals with organic substance sampling system

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns an ear tag for marking animals comprising a female portion consisting of a female head ( 6 ) optionally borne by or formed in a first wall ( 1 ), a male portion consisting of a male punch ( 6 ) optionally borne by or formed in a second wall ( 1 ), identifying means being borne by one at least of the female elements (head or wall) and by one at least of the male elements (punch or wall). The invention is characterised in that the male punch is configured in two separable parts, whereof one passes through the ear wall and is housed in the female head, and the other retains the organic substance and enables the punch to be extracted when it is in the female head.

[0001] Ear tags generally comprise a wall with a female head and a wallwith a male punch, said walls carrying identifying information. As theyare affixed, by means of pliers, the male punch pierces the animal's earand is housed in the female head where it is secured so that it cannotbe separated from the female head. Necessary rigidity is provided by thepin of the pliers, which is housed in the hollow shaft of the punch.This punch is generally closed.

[0002] Generally, the female heads providing the best guarantee ofinviolability for the completed assembly, and thus the inviolability ofthe marking achieved, are closed heads.

[0003] Closed heads have only one orifice, that through which the punchpasses. This is secured in position, by known means, with a radialcollar behind its pointed end, distal in relation to the tag of which itforms a non-distinct part.

[0004] The collar of the punch is locked into the female head, which isprovided with ribs, teeth or other means that do not prevent thepenetration of the punch but do prevent its withdrawal.

[0005] In a particular embodiment of the ear tag, the closed female headis made of a synthetic material, duplicate moulded on the wall andhaving a Shore hardness such that is difficult to pierce or cut it toperform any procedure on the end of the punch intended to remove it fromthe head.

[0006] At present, the ear tags that are most often used are tags with aclosed head.

[0007] Tags with an open head are also available on the market, saidtags each display an orifice through which the nose of the punch, withits collar, penetrates into an open tubular receptacle, that is to sayhaving an orifice at its free end.

[0008] The use of ear tags for marking animals is a widespread practicein all livestock-breeding countries to ensure the tracking of bredanimals destined for human consumption.

[0009] These markings and the data relating to the animal are generallycentralised in computerised data banks that can be accessed for updatingor information retrieval by all concerned: breeders, fatteners,veterinary services etc . . . right down to the distribution networks.

[0010] The pursuit of maximum security in the identification of theanimal leads to the sampling of organic matter, which may be stored witha view to DNA analysis.

[0011] Patent WO 99 61 882 attempts a solution to this effect, andproposes a device and a procedure intended to enable a sample of organictissue to be taken. This patent describes a receptacle for the sampleand a sampling tool in the form of a cutting die that locks into thereceptacle with the sampled organic matter.

[0012] The receptacle and the punch may be combined with an ear tag andcarry the same markings.

[0013] Although it is indicated in this patent that it is possible toaccomplish the sampling at the same time as affixing the ear tag, notechnical information is provided to this effect, and it is not evidentthat this is possible at one and the same time.

[0014] In any case, since the sampling tool must necessarily be borne bythe punch on one jaw of the ear-tagging pliers and the receptacle by theother jaw of the pliers, this is only feasible for tags with open headsthat are capable of being traversed by the punch holder on the pliersand the sampling tool.

[0015] It is known that this type of tag is not very secure and istherefore little used.

[0016] Patent DE 197 40 429 describes a procedure and device similar tothe preceding one, which is also limited to the use of an open-headedtag.

[0017] Patent EP 1 060 662 describes an ear tag of the abovementionedtype wherein the male punch has at its end a circular cutting meanswhich is detachable from the punch and is housed in a capsule borne in aperforation emerging at the back of the female head.

[0018] The device according to this patent is not applicable to ear tagswith a closed head.

[0019] Furthermore, the substantial diameter of the cutting elementmakes the penetration of the male punch into the ear wall difficult.

[0020] The object of the present invention is to produce an ear tag formarking animals with a system that takes and retains a sample of organicmatter and enables the tag to be affixed and the sampling to be carriedout in a single operation. It is possible for said tag to be optionallyof the open- or closed-headed type.

[0021] As both the sampling and the marking by affixing the ear tag takeplace at the same time, the risk of wrongly allocating a sample iseliminated, all the more so since according to the invention the malepunch that fixes the tag in the female head is directly involved in thesampling procedure.

[0022] To this end, the ear tag for marking animals according to theinvention, comprising a female portion consisting of a female headoptionally borne by or formed in a first wall, a male portion consistingof a male punch optionally borne by or formed in a second wall,identifying means being borne by one at least of the male or femaleelements, is characterised essentially in that the male punch isconfigured in two separable elements, of which one is locked into thefemale head and the other is a device for sampling organic matter as themale punch passes through the ear wall and that is capable of movingfreely in an axial channel of the former and is withdrawn through thewall of the male portion after the tag is affixed to the animal's ear.

[0023] In another aspect of the invention:

[0024] the ear tag comprises a female portion with a female head and amale portion with a male punch;

[0025] said portions bearing identifying means;

[0026] the male punch is housed in a secure manner in the female headafter passing through the ear;

[0027] the male punch is pierced by an axial channel emerging in thewall and at the end of the punch, the end of the punch forms a cuttingdie;

[0028] a removable prick punch passes through the channel in the malepunch;

[0029] the removable prick punch has a tip for piercing the organicmatter and a means for holding the matter punched out by the cutting dieand pierced by its tip, so that the cutting and the piercing are carriedout as the male punch moves towards the female head, and after thesehave been locked together, the removable prick punch may be extractedfrom the channel in the male punch carrying with it the organic matterthat has been cut out.

[0030] In yet another aspect of the invention, the end of the male punchis provided with an end piece pierced through the centre, said end piecehaving a frustoconical exterior and displaying an orifice, axial to thechannel in the punch, in the form of a frustoconical cavity, thecircular edge 12 of said end piece obtained by the junction of the twoconic-frustums defining a ridge 12 that forms a cutting die.

[0031] In another aspect of the invention, the tip 15 of the removableprick punch in the channel of the punch presents a tip 15 joined to anecked portion 16 behind said head by a collar 17 orthogonal to the axisof the shaft of the prick punch.

[0032] In another aspect of the invention, the tip 15 of the prickpunch, when fully inserted, projects from the ridge 12 of the cuttingdie end piece.

[0033] In another aspect of the invention, the prick punch passingthrough the punch, is provided with means 14 for affixing it to one ofthe jaws of the applicator pliers on the opposite end to the tip.

[0034] In another aspect of the invention, the wall of the internalfrustum of the end piece forms an angle of between 40° and 60°, andpreferably 45°, with the transversal axis.

[0035] In another aspect of the invention, the ear tag comprises aportion with a female head and a portion with a male punch, saidportions bearing identifying means, the male punch being housed in asecure manner in the female head after passing through the ear,characterised essentially in that:

[0036] the male punch is pierced by an axial channel emerging in thewall and at the end of the punch;

[0037] the organic matter sampling device, mounted in a manner thatenables it to move freely within the channel of the male punch and beingseparable therefrom, comprises a hollow needle at the end of the fixingmeans of said sampling device on one of the jaws of the applicatorpliers.

[0038] In another aspect of the invention, the sampling device has onits upper portion a wall (19) provided with identifying meanscorresponding to those on the male and female portions of the tag.

[0039] In another aspect of the invention, at least one of the male orfemale portions presents a wall (1), the identifying means associatedwith said portion being borne on said wall.

[0040] In another aspect of the invention, the sampling device has onits upper part means to connect it, whether in a secured manner or not,with a receptacle in which the end of the sampling device and the sampleof organic matter is housed.

[0041] In another aspect of the invention, the receptacle in which ishoused at least the end of the sampling device, carries an identifyingmeans.

[0042] In another aspect of the invention, the identifying means arevisual means. These identifying means may thus take the form of aninscription in alphabetic or numerical characters, or even a bar code.The various inscriptions may be identical, or different but related.

[0043] In another aspect of the invention, one at least of theidentifying means consists of a transponder, comprising electronicidentification means, for example in the form of an electronic number,attached to one of the elements of the male or female portions, and/orto the wall (19) and/or to the receptacle.

[0044] Said transponder could, for example, be embedded in the body ofone of the elements of the male or female portions or in the body of thewall (19) or in the body of the receptacle, but the transponder may beattached to the corresponding element by any other means, for example byadhesive bonding.

[0045] Said transponder could be provided with a ROM- or EPROM-typememory into which the electronic number could be entered, and anappropriate transmitting circuit. The information contained in thememory, in this case the number and possibly other information of use inthe envisaged application, are read remotely by an appropriate readingdevice.

[0046] Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will becomeapparent from the following description of a form of embodiment of theinvention, given as a non-limiting example and illustrated by theattached drawings, in which:

[0047]FIG. 1 is a view of the open jaws of a pair of ear-tag applicatorpliers;

[0048]FIG. 2 is a view of the tag with the male punch according to theinvention, and a prick punch;

[0049]FIGS. 3a to 3 c represent the end piece of the nose of the malepunch;

[0050]FIG. 4 is a view of the prick punch;

[0051]FIG. 5 is a view of the prick punch according to anotherembodiment;

[0052]FIG. 6 is a view of another form of embodiment of the male portionof the tag according to the invention;

[0053]FIG. 7 is a sectional drawing of FIG. 6 following the line AA.

[0054]FIG. 1 represents a partial view of a pair of ear tag applicatorpliers.

[0055] The ear tag is in two portions:

[0056] one so-called male portion, comprising a first wall 1 bearingidentifying information for the animal and a vertical punch 2 of thenose 3 which is provided with a collar 5, and

[0057] a female portion with a second wall 1 bearing identicalinformation to the wall of the male portion and a hollow head 6 that maybe either open or closed.

[0058] In FIG. 1 the female head is located in a receptacle in the jaw,and the male portion is attached to the other jaw of the pliers.

[0059] The female head comprises known means for locking the punch ofthe male portion in place.

[0060] According to the invention, the male punch 2 is made up of twoseparable parts, one within the other, one of which passes through theear wall and is housed in the female head 6 to firmly fasten the twocomponents of the tag together, and wherein the other, carried alongwith the first, also passes through the sampled ear wall and holdsorganic matter; this part is generically called the sampling device.

[0061] As the two parts of the punch are separated, which occurs whenthe punch is in the female head of the tag, the organic matter iswithdrawn and may thereafter be stored for analysis and, for example, toestablish the DNA of the animal concerned.

[0062] Advantageously, one of the two parts of the punch acts as acutting die that cuts out a portion of the organic matter, and thesampling device retains the said portion and enables it to be extracted.

[0063] Preferably, the part forming the cutting die is that which issecured in the female head by a known means.

[0064] As represented in the drawings, one of the two parts of the punchis composed of the cylindro-conical shaft 2 that is pierced by an axialchannel, said channel emerging at one end of the tag and at the nose 3,and the other part is composed of a prick punch represented in a moredetailed manner in FIGS. 4 and 5.

[0065] The collar 5 of the nose 3 enables the male punch to be securedin the female head 6 by any known means.

[0066] The end of the nose 3 of the male punch is provided with an endpiece 7 (FIG. 2) that is duplicate moulded.

[0067] Preferably this end piece is made of metal.

[0068]FIGS. 3A, 3B, 3C represent the end piece 7 having a flange 8embedded in the material of the punch, and one external frustoconicalend.

[0069] The end piece is pierced by a central channel 10 that prolongsthe internal channel of the punch axially.

[0070] The end piece presents an orifice 11 in the form of afrustoconical cavity.

[0071] The frustoconical walls 9 and 11 are oriented in oppositedirections and define a circular ridge 12 or edge forming a cutting die.The prick punch 13 comprises a metal shaft, the so-called upper end ofwhich presents known means 14 for mounting same in the relevant jaw ofthe pliers and the other end of which presents a tip 15.

[0072] Between the components 14 and the tip 15, the shaft of the prickpunch is housed in the axial channel of the punch 2, the components 14projecting from the wall 1 and the tip 15 protruding from the end piece7 or coming level with the ridge 12 of the aforementioned end piece.

[0073] Preferably, the shaft of the prick punch presents behind the tip15 a necked part 16 of smaller diameter than the tip and the upperposition(sic) of the shaft.

[0074] A collar 17 behind the tip retains the organic matter throughwhich the tip 15 passes.

[0075] The tip 15 being of slightly smaller diameter than the axialchannel of the punch 2 and its end piece, as the prick punch iswithdrawn the matter lodges itself around the necked part 16 in theaxial channel.

[0076] The upper part of the prick punch shaft is provided with aconical portion 18 that limits its penetration in the channel, so thatas the tag is affixed, the tip 15 projects slightly from the ridge 12 ofthe end piece and the collar 17 is able to enter into the organicmatter.

[0077] In operation, when the punch comes into contact with the earwall, the ridge of the end piece cuts a piece out of said ear wall whilethe tip pierces through it and fixes it to the collar.

[0078] After the male punch has penetrated into the female head and thepliers have been withdrawn, the user extracts the prick punch from thechannel and can store said prick punch with the organic matter.

[0079] Said storage may take place in a tubular receptacle, with orwithout internal preserving material, of a diameter corresponding tothat of the upper part of the shaft 13, thus enabling the two to bewedged together.

[0080] Any other method and means of securing the receptacle onto theshaft may be used, for example a threaded joint with threads on theshaft and inside the container.

[0081]FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the prick punch that is providedwith a wall 19 bearing the same, or related, identification details asthe ear tag, located between the shaft 13 and the components 14 forfastening it to the jaw of the pliers.

[0082]FIGS. 6 and 7 show another embodiment of the ear tag according tothe invention, in which the male punch 2, pierced by an axial channelemerging in the wall 1 and at the end 3 of the punch accommodates anorganic matter sampling device that is capable of moving freely in thechannel of the male punch 2 and separable therefrom, which comprises ahollow needle 20 linked to the fastening means 14 of said samplingdevice on one of the jaws of the applicator pliers.

[0083] Advantageously, the end of the hollow needle 20 is sharp andprotrudes, as shown in 21, from the end 3 of the male punch so that itpierces the ear wall, and cuts out and retains the organic matter duringthe passage of the male punch 2 towards the female head.

[0084] After fastening the male portion into the female portion, thesampling device is extracted from the channel of the male punch throughthe wall 1 of the male portion and in a backward direction in relationto the punch's end 3 locked in the female head.

[0085] It is clear that various adjustments and modifications fromequivalent technologies may be made to the present invention withoutthereby departing from the scope of the present invention as defined inthe attached claims.

1. An ear tag for marking animals comprising a female portion consistingof a female head (6) optionally borne by or formed in a first wall (1),a male portion consisting of a male punch (6) optionally borne by orformed in a second wall (1), identifying means being borne by at leastone of the male or female elements, characterised in that the male punch(2) is configured in two separable elements, one of which is housed inthe female head and the other forms an organic matter sampling deviceduring the passage of the male punch (2) through the ear wall, which ismoveable in an axial channel thereof and is withdrawn through the wall(1) of the male portion after fastening the tag onto the animal's ear.2. An ear tag for marking animals according to claim 1, comprising aportion with a female head and a portion with a male punch, saidportions bearing identifying means, the male punch being housed in asecure manner in the female head after passing through the ear,characterised in that the male punch (2) is pierced by an axial channelemerging in the wall (1) and at the end (3) of the punch; the end (3) ofthe punch forms a cutting die; a removable prick punch (13) passesthrough the channel in the male punch (2); the removable prick punch hasa tip (15) for piercing the organic matter and a means (5) for holdingthe matter punched out by the cutting die and pierced by its tip, sothat the cutting and the piercing are carried out as the male punchmoves towards the female head, and after these have been lockedtogether, the removable prick punch may be extracted from the channel inthe male punch carrying with it the organic matter that has been cutout.
 3. An ear tag according to claims 1 and 2, characterised in thatthe end of the male punch is provided with an end piece (7) piercedthrough the centre, said end piece having a frustoconical exterior anddisplaying an orifice (10) axial to the channel in the punch, in theform of a frustoconical cavity, the circular edge (12) of said end pieceobtained by the junction of the two conic frustums defining a ridge (12)that forms a cutting die.
 4. An ear tag according to claims 1 and 2,characterised in that the tip of the removable prick punch in thechannel of the punch presents a tip (15) joined to a necked portion (16)behind said head by a collar (17) orthogonal to the axis of the shaft.5. An ear tag according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterisedin that the tip (15) of the prick punch, when fully inserted, projectsfrom the ridge (12) of the cutting die end piece.
 6. An ear tagaccording to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterised in that the prickpunch passing through the punch is provided with means (14) for affixingit to one of the jaws of the applicator pliers on the opposite end tothe tip.
 7. An ear tag according to any one of the preceding claims,characterised in that the wall of the internal frustum of the end pieceforms an angle of between 40° and 60°, and preferably 45°, with thetransversal axis.
 8. An ear tag according to claim 1 comprising aportion with a female head (6) and a portion with a male punch (2), saidportions bearing identifying means, the male punch (2) being housed in asecure manner in the female head after passing through the ear,characterised in that the male punch (2) is pierced by an axial channelemerging in the wall (1) and at the end (3) of the punch; the organicmatter sampling device, mounted in a manner that enables it to movefreely within the channel of the male punch (2) and being separabletherefrom, comprises a hollow needle (20) at the end of the fixing means(14) of said sampling device on one of the jaws of the applicatorpliers.
 9. An ear tag according to claim 8, characterised in that theend of the hollow needle (20) is sharp and protrudes from the end (3) ofthe male punch so that it pierces the ear wall and cuts out the organicmatter during the passage of the male punch towards the female head, andafter these have been locked together, the sampling device is extractedfrom the channel in the male punch carrying with it the organic matter.10. An ear tag according to claim 1 and any one of the preceding claims,characterised in that the sampling device has on its upper portion awall (19) provided with identifying means corresponding to those on themale and female portions of the tag.
 11. An ear tag according to any oneof the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the maleor female portions presents a wall (1), the identifying means associatedwith said portion being borne on said wall.
 12. An ear tag according toany one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the samplingdevice has on its upper part means to connect it, whether in a securedmanner or not, with a receptacle in which at least the end of saiddevice and the sample of organic matter is housed.
 13. An ear tagaccording to claim 12, characterised in that the receptacle in which ishoused at least the end of the sampling device, carries an identifyingmeans.
 14. An ear tag according to any one of the preceding claims,characterised in that the identifying means are visual means.
 15. An eartag according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in thatone at least of the identifying means consists of a transponder, with anelectronic number, attached to one of the elements of the male or femaleportions and/or to the wall (19) and/or to the receptacle.